Assembling tool



June 17 1947- P. E. HoGlN 2,422,549

ASSEMBLING ,TOOL

Filed Jan. 8, 1944 /NVE/v TOR y P. E.. HOG/N A T Tom/5P Patented June 17, 1947 UNITED YSI'H'ES PTE NT OFFICE ASSEMBLINGCTQOL Ph`ilip E. Hogin, Newark, N. .J.,A;assignor" to `Western Electric Company, incorporated, HNew York, Ni Y., a lcorporation of New-'York 'Application January 8, 194.4, SerialNo. 517,571

Claims. l

This invention relates to assemblingv tools, and more particularly for tools for assembling. wash.. ers .on articles.

In the manufacture of certain communications equipment, electrical units or articles are in .some instances inserted in apertures of panels or mounting plates and are to be held in place by resilient locking rings. Also, in certain instances, the articles or units are formed partially ,of molded plastics, and it is important to mount them without causing damage thereto.

.An object of the `invention is to provide an assembling tool which is simple in structure, easily operable, -and highly eicient in assembling retaining members on articles.

Withthis and other objects in view, the invention comprises an assembling tool including a mandrel adapted forl interengagement with an article, an element adapted for movement of a retaining element longitudinally of the mandrel into registration with a groove in the article, and resilient means to force the retaining element into .the groove of the article.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description when considered -in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein lFig. 1 is an elevational View of the assembling tool associated .with an article to be secured in a mounting panel, portions of the tool beingbroken away;

Fig. 2.*is .an enlarged fragmentary sectional view ofthe assembling tool and article illustrating the relative positions of the parts as the retaining element nears the assembling position;

Fig. 3 isfan enlarged fragmentary sectional View of the structureshown in Fig. 2, illustrating the completion of the assembling operation;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line lI-A of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a top plan View of theretaining element, and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged side elevational viefw of the retaining element, this viewbeing taken substantially along the line -B of Fig. 5.

Referring now to .the drawing, attention is first directed to the unit or. article to be .mounted or assembled in a mounting panel I0. An aperture I I is provided in the mounting panel I0 to receive the article or unit I2. illustration the unit I2 is a socket for receiving a vacuum tube, the socket having a. plurality of terminals I4 disposed one. upon each side of the panel, the apertures for receiving the vmounting pins of thevacuum tube not being shown, these In the presentv being present in the opposite side of the unit. The unit includes .a central .aperture vI5 and a plurality of vradial .projections vI6 providing intermedaite recesses- Il. The projections I6 are grooved, `as .at I8, short of a head portion I9. The head portion will .rest upon the .forward face of Vthe-panel, while grooves I8 will be partially disposedin theaperture II and extend therebeyond asillustrated in Figs. 1,2 and 3.

A retaining .element .20 is corrugated, .that is, it is provided witha wavy contour as .illustrated in-Figs. 1, 5and 6, the ends .thereof overlapping as at" 2Irso as to allow for expansion of the element 4from its-normal size .shown in Fig. 5 to that made .necessary -to pass the element over the projections I6 and .into the grooves AI8 .adjacent the mounting panel .I U. Y

The .assembling tool includes a mandrel 24 which is tapered so that .the element 20 may be freelydropped over an .end 25 thereof, the opposite end 26, however, being equal in diameter to the diameter. of the unit or article I2at the peripheryof the projections I6. The mandrel 24 has `a longitudinal aperture 21 therein enlarged at its loWerend 28 to receive a locating member 29, the latter .having a reduced portion 30 receivableintheaperture I5 ofthe article I2 and providing ,a shoulder 3| .to -rest upon the adjacentsurface of the article. Throughthis means the mandrel 24 is centrally located upon the article and interlocked therewith.

During the. assembling operation the article rests upon-a suitablesupport 32, which .in turn may. support a .multiplicity of articles I2 in van equal number of apertures I I the mounting panel I0. "The lower end 26 of the mandrel. 24. is hollow, as at 33, and is provided with a plurality of projections 34 with intermediate notches or recesses 35 to form an interfitting connection between the mandrel and the article. The projections 34, as illustrated inFig. 4, iill the outer portions of the recesses II of the article, their outer surfaces forming, continuations of the circumferences or arcuate outer surfaces of the projections I6. Furthermore, vthe lower edges 31 of the projections lie in a plane ycommon with the upper edges of thegrooves I8 to guide fthe retaining element 20 to the grooves.

Means is provided for moving the retaining element downwardly over` the mandrel 24, for compressing the element until it is receivable in they ygrooves I8 of the article, and to force the expanded element into a contracted position in the grooves` ofthe article. The means for accomplishing the iirst two functionsis a tubular member 4U whose inner diameter is substantially equal to but slightly larger than the outer diameter of the end 26 of the mandrel 24. The tubular member 40 is xed, as at 4I, to a handle 42, through the aid of an annular flange 43 integral with the tubular member. A sleeve 45 is disposed concentric with the tubular member 40 and is movable thereon a distance limited by a screw `46 carried thereby and positioned to have its inner end ride in an elongate aperture 41. The sleeve 45 has a plurality of longitudinal slots 48 therein forming resilient lingers 49 which extend beneath a lower end 50 of the tubular memnormally urges rthe sleeve 45 downwardly;lir'nited'y by the screw 45.

Considering now the function of the Yassembling tool, let it be assumed that an article I2 has been disposed in the aperture II of the mounting panel Ill and rests upon the support 32, as illustrated in Fig. 1. The mandrel 2d is then disposed in intertting Yengagement with the articlethe portion 30 automatically centering the mandrel with the article and the shoulderY SI assuring the location of the projections 3ft. with respect to the grooves I8. The retaining element 2@ may then be dropped over the upper end of the mandrel, after which theunit, including the tubular member 48, the sleeve 45 and the handle 42, .may be disposed over the mandrel and brought to rest upon the retaining element 2G. By applying suitable forcer to the handle 42, the retaining element 2B, through the downward movement of the tubular member 4Q, will' be forced downwardly over the mandrel and caused to expand due to the tapering contour of the mandrel. Through the provision of the projections 34, a continuous circular contour is provided for the retaining element until it reaches the grooves I8. When the retaining element 2B has been moved to a position where it engages the adjacent surface of the panel I0, additional force is required to partially compress the element so that it may be moved into the grooves I8. This is brought about by continued force through the handle 42 to the member 4I?.

During the downward movement of the unit portion of the assembling tool over the mandrel, the resilient fingers of the sleeve near their lower ends, that is, adjacent the element 20, have been -forced outwardly due to the expansion of the element, and the force created in the ngers 4S is sufficient to contract the expanded and partially flattened retaining element and thus force it into the grooves I8 of the article; Through the aid of the spring 5I, the resilient fingers 49 extend beneath the end 50 of the member 40 to extend around the element 2D. The spring is, however, compressed whenY the sleeve 45 comes to rest upon the panel Il) and during compression of the element.

By the provision of the assembling tool, the counteracting force built up in the retaining element during the steps necessary torexpand it and to partially flatten it and direct it into the grooves I8, is kept from the article I2, eliminating possible damage to the article and assuring the positive intertting connection of the retaining element, the article and the mounting panel. Furthermore, the mandrel assures positive and uniform expansion of the retaining element, during which time uniform forces are created in the contracting fingers 49, which forces may be applied equally to the retaining element once it is compressed suiiciently to be received in the grooves to cause uniform contraction of the element and positive locking of the article thereby to the panel.

Although specic improvements of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood that they are but illustrative and that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention as dened by the appended claims,

l/Vhat is claimed is:

1. A tool for assembling a split resilient cylinwith flutes groove, means movable relative to the mandrel for moving the retaining ring longitudinally of the mandrel to a position adjacent the saidY which is equal to or larger than the periphery o'f the article and which'has projections for intere` engagement'with the said end of the articleY in the recesses thereof,lwhereby'the retaining ring may be expanded for vmovement over the end of, the article and into the groove thereof, a member movable longitudinally of the mandrel tomove the retaining ring therewith on themandrel t0,

the groove, and a flexible element in Contact vvithr the outer periphery of the ringilexedLbythe expansion of the retaining ringVv tov contract 'thew ring and force it into the groovefwhen said groove is reached by the ring.` Y

3. A tool for assembling an expansible andv contractible retaining ring in a groove of an article disposed short of an end thereof having recesses in the periphery thereof, the tool V cornprising a mandrel tapered from one end adapted to receive the retaining ring to the otheiyend which is equal to or larger than the peripheryijof' the article and ,whichY has projections forinter.- engagement with the'said end of thevarticlein the recesses thereof, whereby the retaining ,ring

" may be expanded for movement over the endof the article and into the groove thereof, a member movable longitudinally of the mandrel'v to move the retaining ring therewith on the mandrel to the groove, and a fleXibleelement'having `a plurality of fingers in contact with 'the periphery of the ring to be flexed by theexpan-l tially equal in cross-section to the said end of' j the article and tapering to the other endadapted,

to receive the retaining ring, projecting .portions of the mandrelreceivable in the recesses vof, the

said end of theY article to Yforminterengagornent between the mandrel and the article and to close the recesses, a member movable longitudinally of the mandrel to move the retaining ring therewith to the groove to cause expansion of the ring on the mandrel, and means to contract the cornpressed ring into the groove.

5. A tool for assembling an expansible and contractible corrugated retaining ring in a groove of a hollow article disposed short of an end thereof having recesses in the peripherythereof, the tool comprising a mandrel having one end substantially equal in cross-section to the said end of the article and tapering to the other end adapted to receive the retaining ring, a member movable longitudinally of the mandrel to move the retaining ring therewith to the groove to cause expansion of the ring on the mandrel, projecting portions of the mandrel receivable in the REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,069,539 Evans Aug. 5, 1913 1,110,690 Hurt Sept. 15, 1914 2,294,042 Minor Aug. 25, 1942 979,438 Courtney Dec. 27, 191.0 

